MSc Projects

Anne Helene Koch Borrits

One of the most dangerous weather phenomenon is slippery roads and that is why it is important to research the thermal mapping data to improve the forecast.

The focus in this project is to make quality control for thermal mapping data, identify thermal finger-prints of roads for each winter month and look into the physio-geographical and local conditions for improvement of the road stretch forecast for the Danish road network.

This project will improve road stretch forecasting for the Danish road network by: 1)Elaborating PP and QC for thermal mapping data. 2) Identify thermal finger-prints for roads.

Dates: 01-09-2016 to 28-02-2018
DMI-supervisor: Claus Petersen
Uni. supervisor: Eigil Kaas (KU), Alexander Mahura (Uni Helsinki)

Kasper Stener Hintz

The usage of crowdsourced data within the atmospheric sciences is still relatively unexplored but it is believed to have a great potential. Crowdsourced data can provide a great source of high temporal and spatial resolution, real-time data. Currently, there exist no general methods to validate crowdsourced data and so there exist no answers of to which extent crowdsourced data can be used in numerical weather prediction. This PhD project performs fundamental research within the field of using crowdsourced data in numerical weather prediction.

Dates: 01-06-2016 to 31-05-2019
DMI-supervisor: Henrik Vedel and Niels Woetmann Nielsen
Uni. supervisor: Eigil Kaas (KU), Juan Munos-Gomez (Vaavud ApS)

Iben Koldtoft

Roughly 5 lines about the project: Couple the ice sheet model PISM to the ocean by implementation of a 3D physical based calving scheme in PISM. A full two-way coupling between the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) and the general climate system will be done by letting PISM interact with the global climate model EC-Earth. Surface mass balance simulations of the GIS will be done to access the quality of the coupled PISM - EC-Earth system in comparison to observations and regional climate model outputs.

Dates: 1/3-2015 - 28/2-2018
DMI supervisor: Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen
Uni. supervisor: Christine S. Hvidberg, Centre for Ice and Climate

Martin Olesen

The focus is on performance of the regional climate model HIRHAM5 over Greenland and with a special emphasis of representing the local climate at the east cost regarding local surface mass balance over the ice sheet and the Renland glacier in particular. The work will contribute to the development of a dynamic high resolution system model of the Greenland ice sheet, the coastal regions and interactions with the surrounding ocean, and to study changes to the ice sheet as a consequence of abrupt changes in Arctic climate and sea ice.

Dates: 1/3 2015 – 28/2 2018
DMI supervisors: Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen and Peter Langen
Uni. supervisor: Eigil Kaas, University of Copenhagen

Mathilde Thorn Ljungdahl

In the project, a dataset will be constructed using buoy data GPS locations and timestamps as reference for co-locating satellite data and NWP data from relevant sources.

By combining these different near-simultaneous data we obtain a unique dataset that can be used to analyze the variability in the physical parameters of the snow and ice and the resulting satellite observations. By use of linear regression or optimal estimation to invert the problem it is then the aim to use the satellite data to estimate the associated snow and ice parameters.

Dates: March 2014 – June 2016
DMI-supervisor: Leif Toudal Pedersen
Uni. supervisor: Eigil Kaas, NBI-KU

Aleksander Andrzej Stysiak

Urban areas are concentrations of climate vulnerability, and under future urbanization and climate change impacts projections, the well-being and comfort of the urban population will become progressively compromised. Green Infrastructure is an important tool in the process of adapting cities to climate change. Thesis aims at testing impact of various greening scenarios on meteorological parameters (with special focus on temperatures, humidity and wind operation) at the scale of Copenhagen Metropolitan Area. Thesis employs meteorology-chemistry Enviro-HIRLAM model.

Dates: 1/3 2015 – 31/8 2015
DMI supervisor: Alexander Mahura
Uni. supervisor: Marina Bergen Jensen, University of Copenhagen – IGN

Pia Nielsen-Englyst

The main motivation is to create a better and more physically based albedo parameterization to be implemented and tested in an offline stand-alone version of the surface mass balance scheme in HIRHAM5. Comparisons are made with MODIS satellite derived albedo data and in-situ observations of surface conditions by PROMICE stations. Further, other choices of albedo formulations are implemented in order to test the influence on e.g. melt and surface mass balance.

Dates: 1/9 2014 - 31/8 2015 (COMPLETED)
DMI supervisors: Peter Langen and Ruth Mottram
Uni. Supervisor: Christine Hvidberg, University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute, Centre for Ice and Climate 

Sólvá Eliasen

Based on a broad suite of observations that includes in situ time series approaching 20 years or more, large-scale data sets and output from a high resolution model, this project will try to explain the large variation in primary production in the waters surrounding the Faroe Islands. This includes: · To explore the hydrographical settings and especially the dynamics of the mixed layer (ML) around and on the Faroe shelf. Study the depth and timing of the ML and the relative role of tidal mixing, air-sea heat exchanges and horizontal advection. · To explore the effect of the physical dynamics on the primary production in well mixed and stratified areas.

Dates: 1/11 2013 - 1/11 2016
DMI supervisors: Till A. Rasmussen and Steffen M. Olsen
Uni. supervisors: Dr. Karin Margretha Húsgarð Larsen, Physical Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute Prof. Bogi Hansen, Physical Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute Dr. Hjálmar Hátún, Physical Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute Dr. Høgni Debes, Biological Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute

Rasmus Anker Pedersen

The last interglacial Eemian climate is investigated through experiments with the EC-Earth climate model. The scientific focus is on the dynamics of climate change in a warming climate with special focus on the Arctic. Key objectives are to compare the simulated Eemian warming to the climatic reconstructions from Greenland ice cores, and analyze how well the Eemian serves as an analogue to future, CO2-driven warming. Sensitivity experiments will further investigate the importance of changes in different climatic properties (e.g. ice sheet, sea ice, and vegetation configurations), and will help clarifying the mechanisms of climate change.

Dates: 15/5 2013 – 14/5 2016
DMI supervisors: Peter L. Langen and Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen
Uni. supervisor: Bo M. Vinther, Centre for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen

Alexander Kurganskiy

The research is focused on simulations of black carbon aerosol concentrations using Enviro-HIRLAM model (Environment - High Resolution Limited Area Model) and aiming at providing new information on distribution and effects of black carbon in Northern Europe and Arctic regions, and evaluation of reliability of the model predictions with focus on Nordic conditions.

Dates: 01/12 2010 – 31/12 2015
DMI supervisor: Drs. Alexander Mahura and Bent H. Sass
Uni. supervisor: Dr. Roman Nuterman and prof. Eigil Kaas, Niels Bohr Institute of University of Copenhagen 

Maher Sahyoun

Bacteria are present in the atmosphere and they are abundant. Specific types of bacteria have the capability of nucleating the ice in mixed phase clouds which may help in precipitation formation process. Thus, bacteria may affect the radiation budget and influence the weather and climate. What makes bacteria distinct from other types of ice nuclei is that they are efficient in nucleating ice heterogeneously at temperatures up to -2°C. Bacteria have the unique capacity of synthesizing ice-nucleation-active (INA) proteins and exposing them at their outer membrane surface. Our main focus was to investigate the impact of bacterial IN on ice nucleation and try to introduce it into a forecasting model.

Dates: 31/12 2010 - Nov 2015 (COMPLETED)
DMI supervisors: Ulrik Smith Korsholm; Niels Woetmann Nielsen; Jens Havskov Sørensen
Uni. supervisors: Prof. Kai Finster, Department of Bioscience - Microbiology, Aarhus University Dr. Urich Bay Gosewinkel, Head of section, Department of Environmental Science - Environmental microbiology & biotechnology, Aarhus university 

Sarah Osima

CLIVET is a 5 year capacity building project that aims to increase the capacity in Tanzania to project climate changes and impacts on water resources relevant for the agricultural sector. The overall objective of CLIVET is to contribute to the capabilities of Tanzania to encounter the impacts of climate change and develop best strategies to adapt to these changes, particularly as they relate to water resources and the use of water within the agricultural sector by (a) supporting individual and institutional capacity building to do climate change and adaptation research, (b) informing national and development assistance policy dialogue on appropriate strategies in water management and (c) building climate change research alliances between South-South and North-South partners.

Dates: Sep 2009 – Dec 2014 (COMPLETED)
DMI supervisor: Martin Stendel
Uni. supervisor: Prof. Bruce Hewitson, University of Cape Town, South Africa